Daily changes name after switch to morning printing

A regional daily has changed its name after almost 130 years as part of a major overhaul which also includes a price rise.

Launched in 1885, Newcastle daily the Evening Chronicle has now become simply ‘The Chronicle’, dropping the ‘Evening’ to reflect its morning print schedule.

The cover price has also increased by two pence from Monday to Friday to 50p, with the Saturday paper increasing to 60p.

Editor Darren Thwaites said the Chronicle’s name change had been timed to coincide with a thorough revamp, including more features, pull-outs and online content, labelling it the “biggest transformation” since the paper switched from broadsheet format to compact in 1997.

Said Darren: “We’ve been printing early in the morning for a few years now and many readers have asked why we don’t just lose the word ‘Evening’ from the masthead. With all the extra investment in our content, it seemed the perfect time to make the step.

As part of the Trinity Mirror-owned title’s revamp, a new glossy TV magazine will be included in the Saturday edition, along with a Buy & Sell pull-out, a weekend lifestyle supplement and a regular column from former Corrie star Denise Welch.

The final edition of the Evening Chronicle, left, and the front page of the new-look Chronicle

Darren added: “We’ve got a really strong newspaper that’s relevant and available all day, with a rapidly-growing website tackling breaking news as it happens.

“We’re delighted to be investing in some really high-quality new features to support the great stories we break every day.

“We’ll continue to bring you exclusive, fresh content that sets the agenda for others to follow. Our job is to keep on informing and entertaining our readers every day – just like we’ve been doing since 1885.”

It comes after the newspaper’s website was relaunched as ChronicleLive, with a liveblog of breaking news starting at 6.30am each morning.

Other new features include more travel, family days out, fashion, health, beauty and a money-saving column from TV expert Martin Lewis.

The coming months will also see the launch of a free Toon Extra pull-out on a Wednesday, and a nostalgia supplement entitled Remember When on Tuesdays, with a makeover in the design of the paper to follow later in the year.

Loose Women and former Corrie star Denise Welch will be among the new columnists, with new features and supplements as part of the revamp

4 comments

I’ve never understood why the regional groups haven’t produced nationwide TV mags which they could insert into all of their weekend and weekly papers. It would become one of the biggest TV mags in the UK, attract premium advertising, be a reason to buy a regional over a national (loads buy for the TV guide) and help to bolster sales all round. What is the point of a newspaper group that seldom pools its resources for the common good? A local news/national specials mix would work so well.

Wow Darren! More features, eh? Will those be the ones written in Cardiff, or Liverpool … or Manchester, maybe? I’m sure the readers will be falling over themselves in the stampede to get to the newsagents, desperate to overdose on the wise words of the lovely Denise Welch.
Pass the sickbag.

Hold on a minute… Martyn Lewis started a new column in the Birmingham Mail yesterday as well. Was this the same content as the Chronicle? And in today’s Birmingham Mail, there’s an ‘interview’ with Denise Welch about ‘Why I can’t wait to write for the Mail’. In Newcastle, is this headed ‘Why I can’t wait to write for the Chronicle?’ I see the cost sense in giving all Trinity Mirror papers the same columnists, but please – don’t pretend these are local initiatives! Oh, and the Birmingham Mail has just gone up to 50p as well!

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